RFERL - Tefft: U.S. Move To Suspend Nonimmigrant Visas In Russia ‘Not Vindictive’

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty ("Free Media In Unfree Societies") reported on Amb. (to Russia) Tefft's remarks.

Money quote(s):

"Russian President Vladimir Putin last month directed the United States to cut 755 out of about 1,200 employees at the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Russia, after the U.S. Congress passed a tough new law cementing sanctions against Moscow over its aggression in Ukraine and for allegedly meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said on August 21 that it was suspending "all nonimmigrant visa operations" at U.S. missions across Russia as of August 23 due to the Russian-imposed cap on U.S. diplomatic staff.

The embassy said operations will resume in Moscow on September 1, but they will “remain suspended indefinitely” at U.S. consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, and Vladivostok.

“It's unfortunate, but we don't have any choice, because we have a lot of responsibilities here,” the ambassador told TASS."



https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-tefft-nonimmigrant-visas-not-vindictive-ambassador/28692902.html

Reuters - U.S. scales back Russian visa operations after Putin cuts embassy staff

Andrew Osborn and Polina Devitt at Reuters ("the world’s largest international multimedia news provider") report something-wholly-to-be-expected.

Money quote(s):

"The U.S. Embassy said it was suspending all non-immigrant visa operations across Russia on Wednesday and that when they resumed on Sept. 1, they would be offered "on a greatly reduced scale"."

This is what happens when you (Russia) force an embassy staff cut of 60 percent (755 positions) spread out over four posts, all of which have provided consular, including visa, services.  While visa operations are not horribly manpower intensive, taken in aggregate the represent something of an easy target if you don't mind making reducing or eliminating the ease of obtaining a U.S. visa.

""Capacity for interviews in the future will be greatly reduced because we have had to greatly reduce our staffing levels to comply with the Russian government’s requirement," it said in a statement."

Sixty percent is huge staffing cut and the U.S. is all about reciprocity in this sort of situation.  

In a working democracy, local citizens who suddenly can't visit relatives, go on business trips, vacation at Disney (either of them), or have to travel multiple time-zones just to go for their interview (and months later than they'd planned) would scream to their elected representatives to do something.  

In less representative countries, the bigshots (who have no trouble getting visas themselves, even if they have to tag-along as members of an official delegation) are untroubled by this.

"Russian citizens wanting to visit the United States for business, tourism or educational reasons will no longer be able to apply via U.S. consulates outside Moscow and will have to travel to the Russian capital instead.

That will pose a logistical challenge for many Russians, whose country is the world's largest by territory. The United States has consulates in St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg."

That's gotta suck.  The flipside is there's just not a similar American demand for Russian visas at their U.S. offices in Washington, New York, and San Francisco, so whatever the retaliation reciprocity will be, it's likely to appear in something not directly linked to visas.  CAA is not a Kremlinologist, but he's been reading the papers long enough to recognized this M.O.

"The U.S. Embassy signaled its new scaled-back visa regime could be in place for some time.

"We will operate at reduced capacity for as long as our staffing levels are reduced," it said."

Can't put it much more clearly than that.

re: "North Korean Embassy Running An Illegal Casino On The Side"

Niccolo Machiavelli at Big Peace shows us how other countries pay for their embassy operations.

Money quote(s):

"Who says the North Koreans don’t understand capitalism?"

Clearly they get capitalism.

(It's those pesky human rights that have them absolutely stumped.)

"The casino and the Embassy proper are separated by a fence, and only guests with bookings can enter. The casino has four roulette tables on the second floor, five poker and blackjack tables and around 30 slot machines, while the third floor is reserved for VIP guests.

Russia banned casinos in major cities in July 2009, sending casino operators underground and prompting them to rent buildings belonging to foreign governments in a bid to take advantage of their extraterritorial status.

Citing experts, Izvestia said there is no way North Korean diplomats were unaware that their building was being used as a casino, and it is likely that it connived as a means to earn foreign currency for the regime.”"

I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!

NYT - Russian Orphanage Offers Love, but Not Families

From my archive of press clippings:

New York Times

Russian Orphanage Offers Love, but Not Families

James Hill for The New York Times


A child at Orphanage No. 11. Of the 45 to 50 children there, just one has been adopted this year.


By CLIFFORD J. LEVY
Published: May 3, 2010


MOSCOW — There is nothing dreary about Orphanage No. 11. It has rooms filled with enough dolls and trains and stuffed animals to make any child giggly. It has speech therapists and round-the-clock nurses and cooks who delight in covertly slipping a treat into a tiny hand. It has the feel of a place where love abounds.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"The case of a Russian boy who returned alone to Moscow, sent back by his American adoptive mother, has focused intense attention on the pitfalls of international adoption."

&

"Ms. Mizulina noted that for all the complaints about the return of the boy, Artyom Savelyev, by his adoptive mother in Tennessee, Russia itself has plenty of experience with failed placements. She said 30,000 children in the last three years inside Russia were sent back to institutions by their adoptive, foster or guardianship families."